Carl gets drafted

Kununurra footballer Carl Peterson (MacNeill) has been drafted to play with the AFL side Richmond.

Carl's father, high profile Kununurra District High School music teacher Ed MacNeill said: "I'm over the moon - it's fantastic."

Carl was born in Meekatharra and moved Kununurra when he was two.

Even at that tender age he was already showing signs of natural aptitude with a ball, being able to bounce a basketball and keep it within his control.

He started playing junior football at about eight and had a good role model in Ed, who was playing for Magpies Football Club at that time.

Ed said Carl was always around people kicking and passing footballs and was always around at training.

After completing Year 11 at Kununurra District High School, he had some time off before heading to Perth to finish Year 12 and train in football as part of the Clontarf Program (that is now available in Kununurra).

He was a ruck rover with the Clontarf team, moving on to play in reserves for Claremont in the WAFL.

He played in the last three lead games and in two final series games.

Sydney Swans tried to draft him, but he was kept back by a groin injury.

Carl received the news that he had been drafted to the Richmond side on Saturday morning.

He was picked 60th and was Richmond's fourth pic.

Ed said that it was great to see that a Kununurra boy could, with the right support, go on to play AFL football.

As an interesting sidelight - both Claremont and Richmond use the tiger as their mascot.

Carl will stay with a player and then a host family of an ex player when he goes to Richmond.

The club will also organise for him to be involved in further education to fill in the time when he is not training.

Another Kimberley star Liam Bedford was not taken in Saturday's draft, but has such exciting potential that he has excellent prospects of being chosen on and AFL club's rookie list.